Chapter 686: Chapter 686

No one could say a word. None of them had ever seen such a powerful spell in their lives.

Even if they had met mages greater than Ghislain, they likely had never witnessed this kind of magic. This was a spell unlike any that had ever existed in the world before.

When Ghislain slightly moved his staff again, the fireballs slowly spread out and began to move.

And then, one by one, they settled above the heads of the Ironclad Lion Corps members.

“…What the…”

The Ironclad Lion Corps members were flustered. With fireballs blazing above their heads, it was only natural.

If they so much as twitched, it felt like the fireballs would immediately drop on them. Stuck in place, they began to glance around nervously.

Ghislain spoke with a soft smile.

“What do you think? Even though we’re outnumbered, doesn’t it look like we stand a fair chance?”

Tyran gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger. He had clearly heard that this man hadn’t used any magic until now. That’s why he was so sure he wasn’t a mage.

But to think he’d unveil such an overwhelming spell…

“Was he really a mage?”

“I told you so. Why does no one ever believe it until they see it with their own eyes?”

Ghislain clicked his tongue. Truly, it was a world lacking in faith.

Tyran’s mind spun. There was no way someone like Zark could’ve mistaken whether the opponent had used magic or not.

And yet, Zark had insisted that the deputy leader of the Julien Mercenary Corps was not a mage. That meant the man had enough power to take down a hundred mercenaries even without casting spells.

‘I made a mistake. I should’ve struck immediately.’

When fighting a mage, you should never give them distance or time. Especially when facing a high-circle mage.

A 5th-circle or even a 4th-circle mage could cause devastating damage if they completed a proper casting. That level of mage could make a difference even in war.

He’d just stood there watching like a fool while facing someone like that.

‘Can we win?’

His confidence in victory remained unshaken. But in a situation like this, the casualties could be far worse than expected.

‘Even if those three are as skilled as Zark claimed, this won’t be easy…’

And now magic was added to the mix. They might suffer near-total annihilation.

The members of the Julien Mercenary Corps, who had backed away in fear, weren’t even part of the equation. Even factoring in just the three individuals Zark mentioned, the expected losses were grave.

‘If that happens, winning won’t mean a thing.’

Suffering such losses just before the battle for the territory would certainly lead to being cast aside by Count Crest.

‘I have to kill that mage in one strike.’

Tyran began gathering his mana and gauged the distance between himself and Ghislain. He was more tense now than ever before.

‘There can be no mistakes.’

If he couldn’t kill him in one strike, those terrifying spells would rain down immediately.

Of course, some allies might endure it or dodge, but at least half would be harmed. That kind of outcome couldn’t be allowed.

Crk, crk…

Tyran’s feet began to dig into the ground little by little. He was gathering strength to charge forward and slash Ghislain in a single burst.

Just then, breaking the heavy silence, an unexpected figure shouted loudly.

“Yaaah! Did you see that? That’s how amazing our big bro is as a mage! I, Osval the man, will settle this with the Ironclad Lion Corps today!”

Osval blustered as he stepped in front of Ghislain. It was his own way of trying to protect the mage.

Of course, it wasn’t because Osval was particularly brave.

‘Hehehe. After a display like that, they won’t make a move so easily, right? Damn, that was insane. Who would’ve thought he was this powerful of a mage? We’ve won, we totally won.’

Watching Osval’s back, Ghislain clicked his tongue.

‘Ignorance really is bliss, huh.’

Right now, Tyran was focusing with all his might. If he unleashed that power, someone like Osval would be sliced clean in half in an instant.

But Osval had no way of recognizing that. If he had, he’d still be cowering quietly in a corner.

However, this ended up having an unexpected effect.

“This bastard…”

Tyran clenched his lips. A bulky guy like Osval blocking the way made it harder to kill the mage.

If Osval was as skilled as Zark claimed, even if he was cut down in a single strike, the mage would use that opening to slip away.

While Tyran stood there, unable to act and deep in thought, an even more surprising situation unfolded.

“Yaaah! Our deputy leader is the best!”

“You bastards! What the hell are you doing, charging into someone else’s turf?!”

“Don’t you dare look down on the Julien Mercenary Corps again!”

The other mercenaries were now completely fired up, shouting loudly with their weapons raised.

They were in a state of pure excitement. After all, they had just witnessed an overwhelming spell unfold before their eyes.

Hundreds of fireballs were aimed at the enemy. It felt like they suddenly had hundreds of reinforcements on their side.

So naturally, they felt like they had a real shot at this.

Many mercenaries were rather simple-minded. Those who overthought things never lasted long in this line of work.

So, such a reaction wasn’t unexpected but for the Ironclad Lion Corps members, it was bewildering.

“Th-these punks, how dare they…”

“They’re betting everything on just one mage…”

“These arrogant bastards…”

They gritted their teeth, but didn’t know what to do.

They’d never experienced anything like this before. They had always overwhelmed their enemies and reigned as a fearsome presence among the mercenaries in this region.

They had never even imagined a scenario where a newly formed mercenary corps would overwhelm them with sheer momentum.

Tyran was drenched in cold sweat, unable to make a decision.

‘What should I do…’

He didn’t know the spell’s full power, but there was no denying it was formidable. If he had known the opponent could use magic like this, he would’ve approached the situation entirely differently.

A lack of information was an unforgivable sin for mercenaries. Understanding the risks of a commission through proper intel was the only way to survive long-term.

The Ironclad Lion Corps had already made a grave mistake by underestimating their opponents. And that mistake fell squarely on Tyran as well.

‘Should we fight like this? Or should we retreat?’

If they fought, the Ironclad Lion Corps would be finished today. Having already allowed a powerful spell to be cast, even a victory would surely lead to their disbandment.

But retreating would come with its own price. It would mean violating the very principles Tyran had upheld until now.

His men would lose morale, and above all, his own reputation would be tarnished.

Realistically, pulling back to avoid total annihilation was the right move but Tyran’s pride wouldn’t allow it.

And everyone present could sense his hesitation.

Osval was the first to shout loudly.

“Hey! What are you doing? Come at me! Are you scared of me, the mighty Osval?!”

“Yeah! What the hell do you think you’re doing, barging in here uninvited?! You’ve got no sense of honor, you bastards!”

“So much for being the strongest in the region, what a joke!”

The mercenaries, now fully aware of the momentum shift, decisively chose their side.

True to their nature, they focused on mocking and provoking the enemy. It was a time-honored tradition among mercenaries before a fight.

Crunch.

Tyran clenched his molars tightly. He knew full well it was a common provocation, but he couldn’t help being infuriated.

Guys who couldn’t even meet his gaze before were now puffing up their chests and running their mouths.

He wanted nothing more than to charge in and kill them all on the spot but the fact that he couldn’t made it all the more unbearable.

At that moment, Ghislain poked his head out from behind Osval and spoke.

“You look deep in thought. What’s the matter? Feeling cornered? Fight and you lose everything, retreat and your pride takes a hit, is that it?”

“You bastard…”

It was an infuriating remark. How could someone know and poke at someone’s inner turmoil so accurately?

From the way he acted, he didn’t seem like some newbie mercenary but more like someone who’d been rolling through this world for decades.

Ghislain grinned slyly and suddenly turned his head.

“Captain, what should we do?”

Then Julien approached, his face flushed, and leaned in as if to whisper something to Ghislain.

Ghislain nodded several times.

“Oh, really? Should we? Should we give him a chance?”

Mumbling incomprehensibly to himself, Ghislain soon turned to Tyran and said,

“You’re in luck.”

“What?”

“Our captain has decided to give you one more chance.”

“……”

Tyran glared at him. Who the hell did they think they were, saying they’d give him a chance?

But he held back, waiting to hear what exactly they were going to say.

Ghislain continued, his face now solemn.

“I mean, I don’t really care even if all our members die fighting. But our captain, well, he thinks differently. He said he’d prefer if none of our members got hurt. He called them precious comrades we’ll be with for a long time.”

At those words, the members of the Julien Mercenary Corps looked at Julien with faintly touched expressions.

Julien stared off into the distance, pretending not to notice.

Tyran growled in response.

“So what? What are you trying to say? Are you fighting or not?”

He was prepared to act like he was reluctantly accepting if they offered reconciliation. That would minimize the damage and spare him the worst of the embarrassment.

But the method Ghislain suggested was something Tyran hadn’t even considered.

“If a mercenary backs down after being provoked, then he’s no mercenary at all. Our captain has decided to settle this with a one-on-one duel with you.”

Tyran’s expression went blank. The other mercenaries were just as stunned.

Tyran was known as the strongest mercenary in the region. Why would anyone challenge him to a one-on-one duel?

It was a foolish choice, no matter how you looked at it. Even Osval cried out in surprise.

“No way, Captain! What are you doing? I think we can win if we just fight normally! That guy’s ridiculously strong! Why are you stepping in?!”

Julien still remained silent.

In truth, this wasn’t Julien’s idea. It was all part of a plan Ghislain had already prepared, having predicted things would come to this.

Ghislain had urged Julien to dramatically announce it himself, but when Julien refused, Ghislain simply pretended to be passing along his words.

Regardless of the hidden circumstances, to Tyran, this was a welcome proposal. His face lit up as he asked again.

“Are you serious about that? Settling this with a one-on-one duel against me?”

“That’s right. To minimize casualties, the captains will fight. And the loser…”

“The loser?”

“Disbands their mercenary corps and joins the other’s. You’d better listen well from then on too. How’s that sound? It’s okay to refuse if you’re scared.”

“Heh… Heh heh heh…”

Tyran held his forehead and laughed. They had some skill, sure, but they were clearly greenhorns. To think they’d get a slight edge and get this cocky.

It was the best-case scenario for him. In a one-on-one duel, there was no way he would lose.

This was his chance to take both honor and gain.

“Fine. I accept. But I want to add a condition.”

“What is it?”

“If I win, you’ll kneel, apologize, and join my corps. Got it?”

“My knees aren’t the best, but… sure, I’ll accept that. Just make sure you do the same.”

“You arrogant bastard… Fine. Let’s see if you can still talk like that once the duel’s over.”

Boom!

Tyran surged forward, unleashing an intense aura.

He’d heard that this guy Julien was said to be on par with a high-level knight. And that his techniques were so advanced even Zark couldn’t figure them out.

Certainly not an easy opponent but Tyran wasn’t worried. He had already stepped into the realm of the top-tier.

Sure, it was only one step up if put into words but in practice, the gap was massive. Just comparing their mana volumes, it was night and day.

More mana meant more power, more speed. No matter how refined one’s technique was, closing that gap wouldn’t be easy.

And it’s not like Tyran’s swordsmanship was lacking, either. Sharpened through countless real battles, his style was unorthodox and devastating.

In age, experience, skill, and cultivation he held the upper hand in every area. If anything, it would be strange not to win.

As Tyran advanced confidently, Ghislain interrupted again.

“Hold up, hold up.”

“What now?!”

Tyran snapped and glared at Ghislain. That guy had an uncanny talent for killing momentum.

Ghislain grinned from ear to ear and said,

“It’d be boring if we just fought like normal, right? So how about a duel with a twist?”

“A twist?”

“Yeah. Back in my hometown(?), mercenaries used to duel in a method called ‘Moriana’s Recognition.’ So how it works is…”

Ghislain began to explain the mercenary duel method known as Moriana’s Recognition.

As they listened, the expressions on Tyran and the mercenaries’ faces kept changing.

‘No mana, arms bound together, one dagger each, and they fight inside a circle? A single mistake and someone could die!’

‘That’s insane… Isn’t that even more dangerous?’

‘Even if you win, without immediate treatment, you’d bleed out. If your body’s wrecked, mana won’t help you.’

‘That’s basically a wild brawl between regular folks! Though… it might be entertaining to watch.’

‘Where the hell is he from that they settle things with barbaric rules like this? What kind of backwater did this guy crawl out of?’

In this era, mercenaries had never heard of Moriana’s Recognition. The concept didn’t exist at all.

But Ghislain, after two years of training, had studied a fair bit about this time period. He knew full well that Moriana’s Recognition hadn’t been established yet.

Still, he didn’t think much of it.

‘It’s going to exist in the future anyway, right? Doesn’t matter when it starts might as well be now. Since it’s going to happen anyway.’

And so, Ghislain once again casually spread a piece of “new” knowledge(?) and “tradition(?)”.

And as for Tyran, the man directly involved in the duel…

Faced with this absurd method of battle, he began to break out into a cold sweat in sheer panic.